Armillaria species display diverse ecological behaviors from beneficial saprobe to virulent pathogen. Armillaria solidipes, a causal agent of Armillaria root disease (ARD), is a virulent primary pathogen with a broad host range. ARD is responsible for reduced forest productivity as a result of direct tree mortality and non-lethal cryptic infections that impact growth....

Oobius Trjapitzin (Hymenoptera, Encyrtidae) species are egg parasitoids that are important for the biological control of some Buprestidae and Cerambycidae (Coleoptera). Two species, O. agrili Zhang & Huang and O. longoi (Siscaro), were introduced into North America for classical biocontrol and have...

Backgrounds and aims Scotch broom is an N-fixing invasive species that has high potential to alter soil properties. We compared soil from areas of Scotch broom invasion with nearby areas that had no evidence of invasion to assess the influence of broom on soil P fractions and other chemical properties. Methods The study was...

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are an ecologically important herbivore because they modify vegetation through browsing and serve as a prey resource for multiple predators. We implemented a multiscale approach to characterize habitat relationships for snowshoe hares across the mixed conifer landscape of the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Our objectives were to (1)...

We examined plant community organization over the first five growing seasons after clearcut harvesting with retention of two levels of logging debris (light and heavy) and application of four vegetation control treatments (non-sprayed control, aminopyralid (A), triclopyr (T), and A+T). Our study site was 44 km northwest of Olympia, WA., USA, and before forest...

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Buprestidae), a native of Asia, was discovered in the USA and Canada in 2002. In summer 2003, we conducted two studies to evaluate EAB attraction to trap logs that varied in length and species.

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Buprestidae), a native of Asia, was discovered in the USA and Canada in 2002. Drs. Deborah McCullough (Michigan State University) and Therese Poland (USDA-FS) tested several systemic and topical insecticides for EAB control, which they reported elsewhere. One additional insecticide that we...

The following new state records are reported for buprestid species in the eastern United States: Agrilus egeniformis Champlain and Knull and Polyceta elata LeConte from Georgia, Agrilus defectus LeConte and Agrilus vittaticollis (Randall) from Minnesota and Agrilus...

Intensive management practices are commonly used to increase fiber production from forests, but potential tradeoffs with maintenance of long-term productivity and early successional biodiversity have yet to be quantified. We assessed soil and vegetation responses in replicated manipulations of logging debris (LD; either retained or removed) and competing vegetation...

Grassland and shrub-steppe ecosystems are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities. Loss of native habitats may negatively impact important small mammal prey species. Little information, however, is available on the impact of habitat variability on density of small mammal prey species at broad spatial scales. We examined the relationship between small mammal...

Logging debris remaining after timber harvest can modify the microclimate and growing conditions for forest regeneration. Debris also can influence tree seedlings indirectly through its effects on development of competing vegetation, although the mechanisms are poorly understood. At two sites in Washington and Oregon (USA) that differed in availability of soil water...

Parks and protected area managers use zoning to decrease interpersonal conflict between recreationists. Zoning, or segregation, of recreation - often by nonmotorized and motorized activity - is designed to limit physical interaction while providing recreation opportunities to both groups. This article investigated the effectiveness of zoning to reduce recreation...

Carnivores are particularly sensitive to reductions in population connectivity caused by human disturbance and habitat fragmentation. Permeability of transportation corridors to carnivore movements is central to species conservation given the large spatial extent of transportation networks and the high mobility of many carnivore species. We investigated the degree to...

Grassland and shrubland birds are declining globally due in part to anthropogenic habitat modification. Because population performance of these species is also influenced by nonanthropogenic factors, it is important to incorporate all relevant ecological drivers into demographic models.We used design-based sampling and occupancy models to test relationships of...

Winter recreation is a rapidly growing activity, and advances in technology make it possible for increasing numbers of people to access remote backcountry terrain. Increased winter recreation may lead to more frequent conflict between recreationists, as well as greater potential disturbance to wildlife. To better understand the environmental characteristics favored by...

Winter recreation is a widely popular activity and is expected to increase due to changes in recreation technology and human population growth. Wildlife are frequently negatively impacted by winter recreation, however, through displacement from habitat, alteration of activity patterns, or changes in movement behavior. We studied impacts of dispersed and developed...